In the Moonlight
by madmaddiee
Summary: Albus and Gellert are enjoying the silence of the night in each other's company over bottles of Firewhiskey. One confession destroys everything.  Rated T for a minuscule adult theme. Blink and you'll miss it.  Oneshot.


**In the Moonlight**

As a young Albus Dumbledore sat on the front porch of his home in Godric's Hollow with his favorite intellectual companion, Gellert Grindelwald, he reflected on the summer months that had been spent developing their friendship.

Sipping lightly on his Firewhiskey (a drink he only had once every blue moon), he recalled the sleepless nights he spent plotting with Gellert, attempting to locate the three pieces that were the Deathly Hallows.

He recognized that their friendship _was _a bit ludicrous; any wizard who saw the pair cocked their head to the side, wondering why in Merlin's name they were associating with one another. Gellert was seemingly dark, had recently been expelled from Durmstrang and had taken a deeper fancy to the Dark Arts, while Albus was a kind-hearted man, and appeared to be a Light wizard.

Albus had a hearty laugh, mentally, at the thought of him being a "Light" wizard. Sure, he did not plan to use any Dark magic on people around him, but that did not mean he wasn't interested in learning about them.

Yes, Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore had more in common than many people thought they did.

Albus pushed up his glasses as they started to fall down the bridge of his nose and glanced over at his friend. He studied the young man's blond hair, perfectly styled with no hairs out of place, his blue eyes reflecting the moonlight in front of the two men. Gellert took a long sip from his bottle of Firewhiskey, as deep in thought as Albus was.

The bespectacled wizard could not deny that Gellert was handsome. Albus had found himself staring at his confidant countless times before this particular night, growing more and more mesmerized by the man's eyes. The eyes that seemed to read Albus' mind, his soul.

Albus knew he was into men; he had known for a few years. After lightly experimenting during Hogwarts he knew the basics of what attraction felt like. It scared him to recognize that he got that same attraction, that lust, while looking and being around Gellert.

He knew he mustn't tell his associate. The two had a particular friendship, one that would not bode well with feelings and emotions. They were friends because of their thirst for knowledge, and their passion for power.

Albus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, the scent of his colleague invaded his nostrils and slightly intoxicated mind. He felt his heart crack, just a bit, at the thought of never telling Gellert how he felt.

Never holding his hand and receiving the small amount of comfort that gave.

Never kissing his supposedly soft lips. Never _being _with him.

The last thought made Albus shiver. Partly because of how desperately he wanted it, partly because he knew he could never have it. He picked up another bottle of Firewhiskey, untwisted the bottle cap, and attempted to drink his thoughts and troubles away.

* * *

><p>Hours later, as the moon was as high in the sky as it would be that night, Albus was sure he was completely and utterly <em>drunk. <em>Thoughts were not stringing together, and looking over he saw Gellert with his eyes closed, almost asleep.

"Hey, Gelly?" Albus laughed, speaking for the first time in a few hours. The interesting thing about the two's relationship was that they could sit in silence for hours, simply enjoying each other's company and presence.

The blond cracked his eyes open slightly and responded quietly, "Yes?", puzzled by the nickname Albus had given him. As Gellert glanced over to Albus and noticed his friend's eyes, he took into account the glossy and unfocused look of them. He then realized that Albus was intoxicated and let the nickname slide.

"You wanna," he hiccuped, "know somethin'?" Albus asked.

"Sure, Albus." Losing patience, Gellert wondered what secret the man would divulge with alcohol addling his mind.

"I'm infatuated with you," Albus giggled. Gellert turned sharply to him, stunned to hear him giggle. Then, his mind processed the confession.

"_Excuse _me?" His eyes widening.

"You're just so handsome," Albus started, as he reached over to run his hand through Gellert's hair. The blond was too shocked to bat his hand away. "So intelligent... How could I not slowly start to fall in love with you?"

Gellert could not respond. His mind was racing a mile a minute. He didn't know what he _was, _what he labeled his sexuality. He had been too busy learning and studying and _gathering _as much information as he could to mindlessly date!

He recalled his father complaining about a homosexual man one day after work, ranting about how disgusting gay men were. The moment had stuck with him as he slowly started to agree with his father. Gellert wasn't sure _why _he agreed with his father, but while the man was alive he was extremely intelligent and powerful, so Gellert reasoned that the Grindelwald senior must have been correct.

At any rate, Gellert would not have time for love and impractical emotions like it. He needed to study and find the Deathly Hallows, to conquer and rule the wizarding world! He did not have time for _love._

Gellert stood up and backed away from Albus. "No... no, this is not _right_, Albus."

Albus' eyebrows furrowed, "What're you talkin' 'bout, Gelly? What's wrong with me loving you?" He rose and approached his friend, only to find Gilbert backing further away. Albus grew disappointed, "Don't you love me, too?"

Gellert's eyes grew wider than before, "Of course not! I'm not a poof!" Gellert took the porch steps two at a time and walked into the street.

"After all that time we spent together?" Albus shouted at his friend's back.

"We're _friends_, Albus! Not... not _lovers_!" Gellert projected enough for Albus to hear him, but did not shout. He was too polite for that. "We _were_ friends, anyway." He turned to see Albus run a hand through his own auburn hair, an invisible weight on his shoulders.

"Were?" Albus asked, dejectedly. He slumped back into one of the porch wooden rocking hairs and put his face in his hands.

"Were. I'll come by to grab any books and things I have in your house tomorrow." Gellert decided. He began to walk off, but hesitated to say, "Just... don't talk to me anymore," and continued to leave his friend behind.

"Wait!" Albus was shouting again, "My brother and sister will be around, in the house... are you sure you wouldn't prefer me to bring your books to you?"

Gellert approached the edge of the small set of stairs leading up to the porch. "No. I'm leaving the neighborhood tomorrow to begin my search for the Deathly Hallows. Godric's Hollow as taught me all that it could of them." He stared into the crown of Albus' skull, for his friend had not looked up. "I'm departing alone." He stressed.

"I believe your," Gellert paused to find the correct word, "_emotions _will distract you from the task at hand." He snarled.

Albus was taken aback by the bitterness in his friend's voice, his tone and attitude usually very calm and collected. He raised his head and looked into those blue eyes that he once found mesmerizing, and found they were now full of distrust and hate.

"Fine." He whispered, returning his head to his hands. He had sobered up considerably, and was regretting his statement to Gellert more and more.

"It's for the greater good, Albus," the disappointed wizard heard his now former-friend say. He then listened to the sound of Gellert's boots against the road's pavement, and only looked up to see his first real friend walking away from him, his back stiff with tension and anger, with no intention of turning back.

The one man he even _considered_ he could love and spend his life with.

Albus worried Gellert would be the _only_ man he felt that way about.

* * *

><p>I do not own anything you recognize, as it belongs to the beautiful J.K. Rowling. A plot bunny that hopped into my mind one evening, had to write it out. The next morning was the fight between Albus, Aberforth, and Gellert. Review?<p> 


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